Apparatus for the generation of steam.



I P. E. TUCKER. APPARATUS FQR'THE GENERATION 0F STEAM.

A I APPLICATION FILED JULY 7- Patented July 2,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- TF-EPE E.T11mkm- P. E. TUCKER.

APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1911.

m Patented July 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Application" filed. rui at, 1917. Berial no. meme.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, PERCY EQTocnnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bremerton, in the county of Kitsap and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in an Apparatus for the Generation of Steam, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a steam generator, and has for its object the provision of an apparatus for generating steam by the combustion of a volatile fuel such as gasolene, kerosene and the like.

Other objectsof the present invention are to provide an apparatus which may be manually started or set in operation, which,-a"fter being started, is automatic in the control of the combustible gas and the water to be con verted into steam; which is provided with means for automatically controlling the generation of steam to maintain the desired pressure in the boiler or reservoir; and to provide a device comprising relatively few parts occupying but relatively small space.

The above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part described, and in part understood, from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam generating apparatus constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlargechside ele vation of the automatic means for controlling the generation of the steam.

Fig. 3 is a section view through the throttle which controls the flow of steam to the operating engine.

Fig. i is a vertical sectional view through the check valve controlling the passage of generated steam into the reservoir or tank.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a suitable reservoir or tank in which the steam generated may be collected and from which the steam maybe distributed for use. The tank or reservoir is made of sufiicient strength to withstand the desired steam pres: sure, and is provided with a suitable safety valve 11. I r a I The steam is generated in a combustion chamber 12 in the form of acylinder which, as shown in the present instance, may be arranged vertically, and which is connected at specification of ltetters Patent.

APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF STEAM.

Patented July 3,1913.

per end of the valve casing 14; and receives.

the upper end of the spring 17 thereagainst.

The valve 16 and the spring 17 may be withdrawn upwardly through the casing 1 1 by the removal of the cap 18. The combustion chamber 12 is supported in any suitable mannor, as by means of a bracket 19 projecting from the adj acent-end of .the reservoir 10.

Arranged adjacent to or near the combustion chamber 12 is a gas pump 20 connected at its intake to a carbureter 21 to which hydro-carbon fuel may be fed from tank 22 through pipe 23. A supply pipe 24: leads from the outlet of the pump 20 to preferably the upper end of the combustion chamber 12 and isadapted to supply gas under pressure thereto. A spark plug 25' of the usual construction is secured in the upper head of the combustion chamber 12 for igniting the compressed gas in the chamber, as hereinafter set forth. 7

The pump 20 is operated by a reciprocating steam engine 26 arranged, preferably, in tandem with the pump20 and the two being connected by a common piston rod 27. The piston rod 27 may be provided with a pair of spaced-apart projections 28 adapted to strike a rocker arm 29 connected at its upper end to a valve rod 30 for actuating the valves of the engine 26. A bracket'plate 31 is secured across the upper portions of the engine 26 and the pump 20, and an operatinglever 32 is pivoted intermediate its ends to the bracket plate 31 and projects at its lower end .into engagement with the piston rod 27, the lever 32 being forked at its lower end and suitably connected to thepiston rod by a pin 33. The upper end of the lever 32 socketed for the reception of a handle 34: which may be .employed in starting the apparatus.

The bracket plate 31 is also provided, near its end adjacent the pump 20, with a'rocker arm 35 pivoted at its lower end to the plate lift water 2 0 gas in the combustion chamber 12 31 and connected by a rod 36 to the upper end of the lever 32. The rod 36 is pivoted to the lever 32 at oneend and is adj ustably and pivotally connected to the rocker arm 35 at its opposite end by means of an ad ustable bolt 37 or the like. Secured preferably on tlreupper portion of the pump 26 is a relatively small water pump 38 the p ston 39 of which is connected by link 40- to the rocker arm 35 near the lower end of the latter to actuate the pu1np38upon the movement of the arm '35. The pump 38 is connected at its outer end, opposite to the piston rod 39, to a water supply pipe 41 having a non-return checkvalve 42 therein, and which terminates in a rose or spray-nozzle 42 arranged within the lower portion of the combustion chamber 12. A water supply pipe 43 leads from a tank 44 and is provided with a non check valve 45 therein adjacent to the 38'. Thepipe 43'opens into the pipe return pump 41 at a point between the valve 42 and the pump 38-.

"'The sp ark plug 25 has. one electrode grounded in the apparatus through the combustion chamber 12, and the opposite electrode is connected by wire 46 toone end of the' primary winding of a transformer or inductorium 47, the opposite end of the primary winding of Whlch is grounded, as at.

48. 'The secondary winding of the transformer, 47 has one terminal connected by wire-49 to a battery or exciter 50. The opposite terminals of the transformer 47 and the battery 50 are, connected by leads 51 and 52 to fixed and movable contacts 53 and 54. The fixed contact 54 is secured to the inner end of the pump 20 and has connection with the lead 52. The movable contact 53 is secured to the lower end of the lever 32 in position to engage the fixed contact 54 when the lower end of the'lever is swung toward thepum'p20 in the act of compressing the The steam engine 26 is operated by steam which isfgenerated and collected in the tank 10, the steam being carried through a steam pipe 55 and controlled by a throttle valve 56 which is arrangedin the pipe preferably adjacent to the engine 26. As shown in Fig. 3, the throttle valve 56 comprises a casing connected at opposite ends in the pipe 55 and which has a transversely extending shell or partition 57 therein of cylindrical form. The shell 57 has in its upper and lower sides perforations adapted to aline with correspondingly formed perforations in a hollow cylindrical plug. 58 adapted to turn within the she'll57J The'plug 58 is provided at one end with a stein 59 projecting through the a'djacent'isi'de' of the'th'rottle valve 56 and to which is secured an operating arm 60, the latter havingalongitudinal' slot in its outer end; 'A'jf'rame 61 is secured to the engine 26 andrises therefrom into a position above the throttle valve 56 and at one side thereof. A pressure regulating cylinder 62 is mounted vertically upon the upper end of the frame 61, the cylinder 62 having a piston 63 therein, as shown in detail in Fig. 2, and provided with a depending piston rod 64 which is connected to the arm by a laterally extending pin 65 projecting into the slot of the arm. The upper end of the cylmder 62 is connected to the main steam line 55 by a bypass pipe 66, the steam entering the top of the cylinder 62 is adapted to force the piston 63 downwardly therein. A drain cock 67 may be mounted in one side and at the lower end of the cylinder 62. The lower end of the piston rod 64 is provided with a head 68 to which is secured the upper end of an expansion spring 69. The lower end of the spring 69 rests upon a hand wheel 70 wlliich is supported upon a depending exterior y ed engagement through the lower end of the frame 61. By turning the hand wheel. 7 0 in opposite directions the stem 71 is raised and lowered so as to increase and decrease the tension of the spring 69 and produce an adjustable resistance for the piston 63 against steam entering the upper end of the cylinder 62.

In operation, when it is desired to start the apparatus it is only necessary to insert the handle 34 in the socket of the lever 32 and reciprocate the latter sufiiciently to actuate the pump 20 for drawing a. charge of gas from the carburetor 21 and ejecting the same under pressure into the combustion chamber 12. The operation of the lever 32 also operates the water pump 38 and water under pressure is forced through the spray nozzle 42 into the lower end of the combustion chamber 12. As the lower end of the lever 32 moves forwardly to force the charge of gas into the combustion chamber 12, the contact 53 approaches the fixed contact 54, and upon completion of the force stroke the circuit is completed through the transformer 47 and a spark is produced at the plug 2;; to thus ignite the charge delivered to the combustion chamber. The pump 38 is actuated prior to the operation of the gas pump 20 so as to deliver a fine spray of water into the lower end of the chamber 12, for by first injecting the water into the combustion chamber 12, the water is primarily heated, and may then be more readily converted into steam than if the water and gas be simultaneously delivered into the chamber. Furthermore, the relatively cold water when brought into contact with the charge without preliminary heating, tends to condense the fuel and retard the consmnption of the same. The burning ignited gases in the chamber 12 practically instantly convert the sprayed water into steam, and the combined pressures of the steam and the burning gases screw-threaded stem 71 having threadexpand sufficiently to force the major portion of the same past the check valve 14: against the tension of spring 17, and into the tank 10.

As soon as sufficient pressure of steam has been obtained in the tank 10, the steam passes through the pipe 55, the throttle valve 56, and into the engine 26 for driving the pump 20 and the mechanism connected thereto. The spring 57 is adjusted to exert the desired tension upon the piston 63, and when the pressure of the steamin the tank 10 reaches the desired limit, the steam in the bypass pipe 66 overcomes the tension of the spring and moves the piston 63 and the arm downwardly to thus close the throttle valve 56 proportionately to the downward movement of the piston 63. As soon however as the pressure in the tank 10 drops, the spring 69 opens the throttle valve 56 and the engine 26'is again started to operate. The steam may be let off from the boiler 10 for any suitable purpose, such as for operating other steam engines, turbines or the like and to carry off the steam a pipe 72 may be connected to the pipe 55, and any suitable controlling means may be employed in the pipe 72.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the above spe cifically described parts without departing from the spirit of this invention, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. In an apparatus for the generation of steam, the combination of a reservior, a combustion chamber communicating with the reservoir, means for intermittently delivering charges of combustible gas to said chamber, means for intermittently feeding water in small. quantities to the chamber alternately relatively to the charges of gas, and means for igniting the gas whereby said gas when burning is adapted to convert the preheated water into steam and force the same by its expansion into the reservoir.

2. In an apparatus for the generation of steam, the combination of a reservoir, a combustion chamber communicating with the reservoir, fuel feeding means adapted to deliver a charge of gas to the combustion chamber, water feeding means adapted to cleliver a charge of water into the combustion chamber, operating means for alternatelyffit ber, a connection between said pumps to al--- ternately actuate the same upon the operation of the steam engine, an ignition device connected to the combustion chamber for igniting the gas therein and having connection with said engine adapted to be actuated by the same subsequent to the delivery of gas to the combustion chamber, and adjust able controlling means connected to the engine for operating the latter to maintain a predetermined steam pressure in said reservoir.

4. In an apparatus for the generation of steam, the combination of a reservoir, a combustion chamber communicating with the reservoir, a gas feeding pump communicating with the combustion chamber, a carbureter connected to the intake of the gas pump, a steam engine connected to said gas pump for operating the same, a water pump communicating with the combustion chamber, a connection between said pumps to actuate the water pump alternately with respect to the operation of the gas pump, said connection including a rocking lever having a socketed portion, a handle adapted to be engaged in said socketed portion for manually operating the pump during initial operation of the machine, ignition means for exploding the gas in the combustion chamber, said ignition means including fixed and movable contacts associated with said pumps and said connecting means therefor for igniting the gas subsequent to the delivery of the same to the combustion chamber, a steam line between the reservoir and said engine, and adjustable controlling means in said steam line adapted to actuate the engine upon a decrease in the predetermined steam pressure for the reservoir.

PER-CY ELMER TUCKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

aahtngten, n. 6." 

